Surprise!!

Well, three surprises really - the first one is that I am actually here!  I have been a bad blogger lately.  Honestly, if anyone says changing jobs is a piece of cake, I would recommend that you slap them.  I am glad that I made the move, but two weeks in and I still feel like a complete novice, even after 35 years experience!

Second surprise was a envelope of amazing Happy Mail from a dear friend.  I am always cautious about naming friends who send gifts, just in case they don't want it known, so she will know who she is and will know how excited it made me - thank you sweetness!

And the third surprise is here:

Isn't she a doll?!

She is from the new CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Surprise stamp set,

OMG, I love this set sooooo much

I have painted her with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and her hair is done with Polychromos Pencils

That perfect sentiment is from the Casual Fridays Exclamations set

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits (now retired, sorry)

It's a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK, so that's a whole extra day of crafting, which means this little lady may well be getting inky again, lol.

Whatever you are up to this weekend, I hope you have a super time, and that we actually manage to get a little bit of Spring sunshine.  It is sunny here at the moment and Rosie has taken full advantage of it.

Speaking of Rosie, oh am I in the Cat House - guess who forgot her 7th birthday yesterday until suppertime.  Whoops.  She must have forgiven me though, because we had a Rosie first this morning.  She came paddling up the bed and gave me a tiny little head-butt/face-rub on my cheek!  She's not been that intimate before, and it was so darned cute.

Anyhoo, have a good one folks.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Animal

Morning all, time for another brilliant challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team, and this time the challenge is for you to use your favourite animal (and tell us why) for your make.

I found this a really difficult challenge as there are so many animals that I love to use on cards - cats, teddies, bunnies, hedgehogs, but when you have been called Squirrel for 30+ years then what else could it be?!

Loving these Nutty But Nice squirrels from Clearly Besotted

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and cut out using the companion dies

Papers are stray sheets of Basic Grey and Echo Park

and I have used my favourite MFT inside out rounded corner stitched squares

The wonderful word die is a new one, to me, from Paper Smooches

The sponsor of this challenge is

Crafty Ribbons

£10 voucher

Hugs to all, and really looking forward to seeing your critters!

Squirrel xx

Belated Bunnies

I've been wondering which card to share with you today, and I realised that I've not shown you this one ... a little bit late, but better than never!

So, I made this using Gerda Steiner Happy Hoppy stamp set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Cloud stencil and DI sponging for the sky

Sentiments are both from Whimsy

Harlequin and bunny face paper from stash

Well, it's a right gloomy day here, and I think it probably is over most of the country today.  I'm taking mum to the eye clinic at the hospital this morning and as she's not too quick on her feet these days I shall be going armed with a couple of large umbrellas, especially as you can't ever seem to park anywhere near the clinic you need to be at.  Which reminds me that I need to find some money for the parking machine.  I know hospitals have to raise funds these days, but paying to park when you are having treatment seems like the ultimate insult.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) Pearls

Happy Pink Thursday everyone!  It's time for a new challenge from IN THE PINK and this time our theme is Pearls.

We have another super sponsor too, but more of that further down.  Firstly, here is my DT card.

So, what have I used then:

Stamped image is a clear set from Tiddly Inks featuring Ellie Says Be Happy

She's painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils but I have

paper pieced her dress.

Papers are all from the Wild Rose Papermania Capsule Collection

That fabulous sentiment is by My Favourite Things

Pearls are from my stash

Ta-dah!

As if pink and pearls weren't enough to tempt you, there is a prize for the winner from

LIVE & LOVE CRAFTS

You know the rules by now, you have two weeks to enter, please use predominantly pink

and follow the theme.  Easy peasy!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Hello Honey

I was at a loose end yesterday and just rummaging through stamps to see what would inspire me, and I found one that started the ball rolling.  Whether it was inspired or not remains to be seen!

You can tell that the camera doesn't know how to deal with a lot of white space!

So, I started with masking off the edges of the card and then in the centre panel

I stamped with a Woodware Old Letter stamp

Then I stamped, coloured up Honey from CC Designs and fussy cut her

and finally added the Memory Box hello word die

and that's it.

Hope your day is a good one.  It is piddling down here, has been since yesterday afternoon.  Rosie has an appointment with the v.e.t for a claw clipping this morning (if I can catch her) and then it's off to the garage again as the exhaust saga continues.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

update:  claw-clip cancelled. I'm bleeding and she's scarpered in a right hissy fit. The joy of cats. Sigh!

Ooh, Cheeky!

So I have no willpower ..... I hold my hands up to that.  If it's cute and it's rubber, it ends up living with me (grin).

New release from Clearly Besotted last week ...... here's a couple of quick and cheeky little makes.

Both cards using the new Cheeky Monkey stamps and dies

Sentiment on 1 is with the monkeys

Sentiment on 2 is from MFT

Paper on 1 is Dovecraft

Paper on 2 is First Edition

Both painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Don't Worry, Bee Happy

Morning all, how are you today?  It's a bit damp over here, and chilly, and we are having to have a new exhaust fitted on the car this morning.  I hate it when the car needs something done, why can't they make the parts of something stronger?!

Anyhoo, I have a happy little card for you today:

You know by now that I am a sucker for Roberto's Rascals stamps

This little chap is Bee Henry from CC Designs

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Orange paper is a scrap of Basic Grey, that I edged with a Martha Stewart border punch

Matting layer and lettering cut from a sheet of chocolate brown Bazzil Bling card

The happy die is from a Paper Smooches Christmas set

The bee was cut using Memory Box Alphabet Soup dies

Sweet and simple but I hope he makes you smile as much as he does me.

Yesterday was my last day in my job of 11 years.  Crumbs.  It still feels surreal, like it has been happening to someone else, but today I am unemployed.  Don't panic, I start my new job on the 18th, but it means I have a week of "me" time to craft and relax.  Hurrah.  My beloved boss, the lady I have worked with all those years, has also left, and we are going to be starting a whole new adventure together!

Well, that's me for today, have a happy weekend.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Anything But A Card

Hello chaps.  It's Thursday, but not any ordinary Thursday, it's my last Thursday and penultimate day  in my current job.  Tonight, a gang of us are hitting the town .......I may have a sore head tomorrow, which considering I don't drink shows my current state of mind, lol!

Anyhoo, Thursday also brings us a new challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team and this time it's

 ANYTHING BUT A CARD (and why - you must explain why it's your favourite style).

I love the excitement of receiving interestingly wrapped gifts, so I always try to make the effort to give in the same way.  I am really into gift bags and boxes at the moment, bags for the awkward shapes of course!

By the time this post is read, this gift bag may be looking a little weary as I am filling it with yummy biscuits for my department colleagues!

I have used

Tiddly Inks - Cookie Wryn (she was perfect for this)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Tonic oval dies

Crealies stitched rectangle die

Papers from Nitwits and the gingham is from Create & Craft

Martha Stewart border and corner punches

L'il Inkers bow die

Purple gems/dots from Papermania

The sponsor of this challenge is
Lawn Fawn
A stamp set and 6x6 pad of the winner’s choice






Looking forward to seeing all your non-card makes!

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx

Lili's April Facebook Challenge

For all you fans out there of LILI OF THE VALLEY there is a new challenge happening over on the Facebook page.  It started on 1 April and closes on 17 April, so you have bags of time left to enter.

It's a colour themed challenge - choose any three of the following five:

• A - aqua
• P - pink
• R - red
• I - ivory
• L - lilac

Here's my card, I chose aqua, red and ivory

So, I have used April Fairy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT double stitched circle die, with Tonic plain circle die for mat

Crealies XXL die

Martha Stewart crochet loop border punch

Papers are Nitwits and a piece from my leftovers

Sentiment is from a set that Lili has now retired (sorry)

Right, that's me done, it's over to you now - looking forward to seeing your Lili makes.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Spring Gardening

Hello peeps.  You all know by now that I am an absolute sucker for the Twila and Nancy character stamps from Roberto's Rascals at CC Designs so when there is a new release I am there like a shot.  Unfortunately, my last few orders have all been held to ransom by the Royal Mail until a Customs fee has been paid - this is starting to make the stamps very expensive ........sigh.  Anyhoo, having paid the most recent exorbitant charge, I FINALLY got my hands on the last ones I ordered.

This is Nancy Gardens

I've painted her with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and got busy with the craft knife to fussy cut her 

The smile word die is also a recent addition, by Impression Obsessions, which I've stacked and covered in clear Wink of Stella

Papers are LOTV/Raspberry Road Baskets & Bunnies (retired)

6x4 card base

Hope you have had a lovely weekend enjoying the Spring sunshine!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Here It Is Anyway.....

Hello peeps, yep, it really is me - sorry that I haven't been around much over the past few weeks, there has been a lot going on, not least of which is me handing in my notice at work after 11 years!  Eeeek.  Don't worry, I haven't done anything ridiculously daft, I have a new job to go to.  In fact, I am moving with my boss - we both leave on the same day, and start at the new one on the same day too.  Anyhoo, it has meant a lot happening, and that means less crafting and blogging time.

So, this morning I saw the new Less is More Challenge which is White Space But Not White.  In a fit of insanity I made a card for it.  I've never been successful with this challenge, so I think my head was already defeated before I had even started.  I'm not overly happy with the end result either but a rather persistent friend talked me into posting it.  So here it is, judge for yourselves.

So, some Bazzil pink and green cardstock and white card from stash

A free tree die from Die-Cutting Essentials magazine

And the hello die from Impression Obsessions

Done.  Hmmmm.

See you again soon with something that is more "me".

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx